Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, 4 others to refund $30,000 World Cup money

Former Sports Minister, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Ghana Football Association boss, Kwesi Nyantakyi and three other persons have been asked to refund over $30,000 to the state.

Per recommendations of the Justice Dzamefe Commission, the three members, who were members of the project committee that lifted supporters to Brazil for Ghana’s participation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, have been asked to refund the money.

The three are former Adenta MP Kojo Adu Asare, I.T consultant Larry Acheampong, who deputized for Elvis Afriyie Ankrah at sub-committee meetings, and Danny Annang.

This is one of many recommendations in the almost 400 paged Dzamefe Commission report which has been published.

The Justice Dzamefe Commission in March presented to President John Mahama the report on the findings of Ghana’s botched 2014 Brazil World Cup appearance.

The three-man Commission was constituted by the president to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ghana’s shameful performance at the 2014 World Cup.

Ghana exited the tournament in the first round after picking just a point from a maximum nine. There were reports of player indiscipline, some of which degenerated into fights as well as government’s failure to pay the appearance fees of the footballers on time.

In the end governement had to fly over 3 million dollars to settle the appearance fees of the players, a conduct that reduced Ghana to global ridicule.

The Commission set up by government, investigated the conduct of all stakeholders involved in the scandal and were expected to present the report sometime last year.

The Commission sat for over three months during which members of the Ghana Football Association, some selected Black Stars players, government officials including the former Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and key stakeholders appeared to give their testimony on Ghana’s shameful appearance.

Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, reacting to the report, said any attempt to surcharge him for misappropriated funds during Black Stars’ participation in the World Cup tournament in Brazil would be wrong.

In a brief statement, the former Sports minister stated that he did not engage in any act of embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds during or after the Brazil World Cup fiasco.